Ink-Stained Amazons

When I think of a female action hero, my mind does not go to Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, or the few shining moments Black Widow receives in the Avenger movies. No, as a child of the ‘80s and ‘90s, I immediately picture those powerhouse women who didn’t need leather or tight clothes to kick ass. Think Ripley in Aliens, or Sarah Connor from Terminator. It’s no coincidence that both of those characters came from James Cameron films. Not only is he one of the most successful living directors, he’s also the father of the female action hero—one of the first mainstream filmmakers to feature strong women who don’t back down in the face of killer robots or nightmare-inducing…